Beginnings
by Saturn Phoenix Frrosty
Summary: The Children of Fate leave Edea's the orphanage ....
1. Quistis

Title: Beginnings [1/2] Author: Saturn Phoenix Frrosty Rating: G Disclaimer: FF VIII, alas, does not belong to me. Do not sue.  
  
A/N: This was originally the prologue to a Quistis/Squall (though not romantic) fic, which I'm probably not going to finish. This can pretty much stand on its own, so I'm posting it. Please Review what there is. Thanks!  
  
A/N 10/2003: Of late I have been re-writing and/or editing all my old ff.net fics as needed. This was originally intended to be a standalone, but I had several people tell me I should write a sequel, and decided to make it a series about the gang from the time they left the orphanage to within a few years of the timeframe of the gang. I only finished Selphie's (and never really much like it truthfully) but please read and review.  
  
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"Squall?"   
  
Quistis had found the younger boy in his room, sitting on his bed, glaring at a wall. He'd never been a very social boy, but since Sis had left the week before, he'd all but ignored everyone, including Matron.   
  
"Squall, don'cha wanna come an' play with me an' Irvy an' Sefie?" she pleaded.   
  
Sullenly, Squall shook his head no.   
  
Quistis sighed in resignation. "'Kay. But we'll be outside if you change your mind."   
  
Squall gave no reaction that told her he had even heard. She quietly let herself out of the room, and went outside, where Selphie and Irvine were waiting.   
  
Selphie bounded up to her, Irvine trailing behind her. "What'd he say?"   
  
Quistis shook her head. "He wouldn't come."   
  
"Oh." Selphie was crestfallen. She was sure she could cheer Squall up, if he would only talk to her.   
  
"Whadda ya wanna do now, Quisty?" Irvine spoke up.   
  
"I dunno."   
  
"Let's play hide-and-seek! There's Zell, over there! C'mon, Irvy," Selphie said loudly. She darted over to Irvine, and before he could protest, grabbed his arm and dragged him over to the field next to the orphanage. Quistis followed behind them, wondering if Squall would ever stop missing Sis.   
  
"Irvy, I don' wanna leave!" Selphie said hysterically. "I wanna stay here with you!"   
  
She turned to Edea and stomped her foot. "I won't go!"   
  
"Selphie," Edea said gently, "The Tilmitts want you to come live with them very much. You wouldn't want to hurt their feelings by not going, would you?"   
  
"Can't Irvy go?" the little girl pleaded, looking up at Edea with wide eyes.   
  
"I'm sorry, Selphie, but no."   
  
Edea wished with all her heart that there was some simple solution to this dilemma. Selphie and Irvine had always been inseperable, from the time they toddlers, practically. But the Tilmitts only wanted Selphie. And another family wanted Irvine.   
  
"Bye, Irvy," Selphie called sadly as Edea led her to the room where the Tilmitts were waiting. "I'll miss you."   
  
"But Matwon, why did Selphie have ta leave?" Irvine asked sadly.   
  
"Oh, Irvine," Edea looked at the little boy sadly. "I'm sorry, but Selphie found a nice family to adopt her. Maybe -- Maybe you'll see her again someday."   
  
Edea thought that was unlikely, but she thought there was a slim chance as they were both eventually to be enrolled in Garden. But she doubted it.   
  
Irvine brightened. "Ya think so, Matwon?"   
  
"You never know."   
  
Quistis wished that Selphie hadn't had to leave, too. She, Seifer, Squall, and Irvine were the only ones left, and Irvine was leaving soon, too.   
  
Squall still hardly spoke to anyone, and Quistis knew that Matron was starting to worry about him.   
  
Quistis thought Seifer was at least part of the reason Squall had become so withdrawn. When Sis was there, she could always keep him away from Squall, but now that she was gone, there was no one to protect Squall from him. Quistis did as best she could, but she wasn't around twenty-four hours a day. Seifer taunted poor Squall whenever there was no one around to see.   
  
She wondered Seifer would be better once they got to Garden. The three of them were making the trip together in a few weeks.   
  
She wondered what it would be like. The only home she had ever known was Edea's orphanage, and she was dreading leaving it.   
  
But she had no choice.   
  
Quistis stared out the window of the ship to the churning, frothing ocean water below. They would dock in Balamb in less than an hour. She could see the town on the horizon if she looked. But she didn't care.   
  
She wondered what Balamb Garden would be like. She didn't remember Edea's husband, Cid, very well. He had lived at the orphanage when she was younger, but for the past several years he'd been away getting Balamb Garden built. They were planning on starting another one in Trabia next year.   
  
She wished Squall, or even Seifer, were with her. They were on another part of the ship. She hoped they weren't together.   
  
They were the closest thing to family she had left. She knew Zell was somewhere in Balamb, but even if she'd known where she couldn't have gone to see him. She wondered how Selphie and Irvine were doing with their new families. She hoped they were okay.   
  
With a lurch, the ship reached Balamb, jarring Quistis from her meloncholy thoughts. Quistis took a deep breath. She was almost at Balamb Garden, and her new life.   
  
But she would have much preferred her old one.   
  
  
  
Three Years Later ....   
  
Quistis had settled in easily at Balamb Garden. She, Seifer, Squall, and Zell, who had joined Garden the previous year were all close enough in age that they were in the same class.   
  
Sometimes she wasn't sure that was a good thing.   
  
Like now.   
  
"Shut up," Zell hissed at Seifer.   
  
"What if I don't, chicken-wuss?" He smirked at Zell. "You can't run to Matron this time."   
  
Zell lunged at Seifer, but before he could inflict any damage the Instructor called out sharply, "Zell!"   
  
"I'll speak to you after class," she said. Zell returned to his seat and the lesson on GFs was resumed.   
  
Quistis didn't know why Seifer liked to taunt people so much. He was constantly picking on either Squall or Zell.   
  
Squall was still very anti-social, despite Quistis' many attempts to be his friend. He had recently begun defending himself from Seifer, and both were common sights now in the Headmaster's office and the infirmiry.   
  
Twenty minutes later the class let out, and Quistis hurriedly left the room.   
  
"Squall!" she called down the hallway.   
  
She saw Squall turn and wait for her to catch up.   
  
"Um, Squall, do you wanna study together or something for the test?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Why, Squall? I just wanna be your friend. We grew up together, you're almost like my little brother. We've all grown apart these last few years. I know you miss Sis --"   
  
She saw Squall tense at the mention of Sis' name.   
  
"No, I don't," he said coldly. He turned and walked quickly to his next class.   
  
Quistis sighed. Sometimes she wished they were all still at the orphanage, when everyone had been happy. 


	2. Selphie

A/N: A bit shorter than the first, and not as good, I think, but please  
read and review!  
  
  
  
"Irvy, I don' wanna leave!" Selphie said hysterically. "I wanna stay here  
with you!"  
  
She turned to Edea and stomped her foot. "I won't go!"  
  
"Selphie," Edea said gently, "The Tilmitts want you to come live with them  
very much. You  
wouldn't want to hurt their feelings by not going, would you?"  
  
"Can't Irvy go?" the little girl pleaded.  
  
"I'm sorry, Selphie, but no."  
  
Edea wished with all her heart that there was some simple solution to this  
dilemma. Selphie and  
Irvine had always been inseperable, from the time they toddlers,  
practically.  
But the Tilmitts  
onlywanted Selphie. And another family wanted Irvine.  
  
"Bye, Irvy," Selphie called sadly as Edea led her to the room where the  
Tilmitts were waiting. "I'll  
miss you."  
  
*************************************************************************  
  
Selphie sat between her new parents during the train ride to their home.  
Mr.  
and Mrs. Tilmitt  
were an older couple, and lived in Dollet. They told her that they had  
several acres of land, and animals.  
  
"You'll love it with us," they promised.  
  
But Selphie wasn't so sure.  
  
*************************************************************************  
  
Selphie eventually became used to living with the Tilmitts, but never  
forgot the orphanage. She was sure that if she could only join Garden, she  
could find the others, or at the very least Cid and Edea.  
  
"Please, can't I go to Garden?" She smiled up at her adoptive father.  
  
"Please?" she repeated, hopefully.  
  
"When you're older," was always the answer.  
  
*************************************************************************  
  
Selphie gaped at Galbadia Garden. It was huge! It was bigger than any  
other  
building that she  
had ever seen.  
  
The Tilmitts had finally given in to Selphie's pleading and cajoling, and  
when she turned nine,  
allowed her to attend Galbadia Garden. Selphie quickly settled into life  
at the Garden.  
  
"Today, class," began the Instructor, one day several months after Selphie  
had come to the  
Garden, "we will learn about GF's. GF's - or Guardian Forces - are  
Elemental  
monsters, and  
can be very useful during battle. They can be Junctioned --"  
  
Selphie quickly began to doze off. She didn't really care about GF's. It  
might be interesting to  
actual junction and use one, but listening to an Intructor drone on and on  
about the more  
technical details of GF junctioning was actually quite dull.  
  
Suddenly the PA system crackled to life. "Would Selphie Tilmitt please  
report to the  
Headmaster's office?"  
  
The Intructor glanced at Selphie. "You are excused. Please hurry back to  
class."  
  
Selphie gathered her books and quickly found her way to the Headmaster's  
office. He looked  
up as she entered and indicated a chair.  
  
Selphie couldn't think of any reasons why the Headmaster would want to see  
her she had done  
less than perfectly on her tests lately, but not that badly.  
  
"Selphie," Headmaster Martine began, "as you may know, a Garden was  
recently  
built in  
Trabia. Galbadia has decided to send several students there, since it has  
become overcrowded  
lately. You have been chosen as one of those students."  
  



End file.
